Thoughts for the Week

Christians have marriage retreats, seminars, and such, but excluding weddings, how often is just romance honored?

In reading Song of Solomon, it’s obvious the book is broken up into a few different speakers, the Beloved, the Lover, and the Friends. While the Beloved and Lover take up most of the dialogue, the Friends weigh in from time to time about the romance developing between the two.

It’s interesting to note that their input on their relationship is positive, saying how they will “rejoice and delight in you; we will praise your love more than wine” (1:4b, NIV), and offering to help the Beloved find her Lover when he went missing asking “which way did your lover turn, that we may look for him with you?” (6:1b) and encouraging them to enjoy the tender and beautiful side of their love, saying “eat, O friends, and drink; drink your fill, O lovers”(5:1b).

Reading over these passages or watching real romance develop between friends can certainly feel awkward. But it seems the role of friends in regard to a loving couple is to be supportive to them, not just in the big things, but in the little, helpful ways they may need.

Perhaps the friends can offer to babysit for a night so the couple can get a date night, be available when the couple is in need of some friendly advice, or simply be positive and encouraging!

Romance is a beautiful and mysterious thing God has created. For the people around us who have found romance in a positive way, the Church needs to cheer them on!